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Replace these items in your home right now

Ewwww! Who knew that these homewares had such a limited time span - by Andrea Black
  • 11 Jun 2019
Replace these items in your home right now

Pillows

Lifespan…1 – 5 years

We spend a lot of time using our pillows and, in that time, they can be a magnet for nasty stuff like dead skin, hair and dust mites (along with their droppings, eww!) as well as being a haven for all manner of bacteria. Regardless of the type of pillows you have you should clean them in your washing machine every six months and how often you replace them is down to the kind of pillow. With proper cleaning, cheap foam pillows have a lifespan of one or two years whilst memory foam might last for about three years. The more expensive down pillows offer the best lifespan of between five and eight years.

Getty Images
Getty Images

Toilet Brush

Lifespan…6 months – 1 year.

A toilet brush’s life is short and not very glamorous but is a clean bathroom’s best friend. You should regularly clean your toilet brush with bleach but even so, the lifespan of this hardworking accessory is only six months to a year depending on the size of the household and often you clean it.

Getty Images
Getty Images

Kitchen Sponge

Lifespan…2 weeks – 1 month

Kitchen sponges are definitely not made to last and they can quickly become the home for an entire ecosystem of bacteria; a study in Germany discovered 362 different kinds of bacteria in one sponge.  Always rinse your sponges in hot water after use and air dry or pop them in the dishwasher if you have one. Even so, once they start to tear, look ragged or smell then it’s time to replace them. In a busy home kitchen even two weeks might be stretching it and constantly cleaning a sponge can actually encourage bacteria. Some swear by microwaving sponges to disinfect them but scientists say this generally doesn’t work. 

Getty Images
Getty Images

Toothbrush

Lifespan…3 months

When you think what your toothbrush does it makes sense that you need to change them every few months at least. Anything that’s used to clean something will generally come away contaminated and toothbrushes are no exception. You can count on your beloved toothbrush becoming a home for bacteria as well as being less effective once the bristles start to fray. If you’re recovering from any kind of cold, throat infection or other illness change to a new toothbrush immediately.

Getty Images
Getty Images

Mattress

Lifespan…8 years.

We spend a lot of time on our mattress and the truth is they’re not designed to last forever. An old mattress can cause back pain and other problems that will affect sleep patterns. Research shows that the average age of a mattress is around eight years but there are variables that can affect this such as the type of mattress and the number of people sleeping on it. The warning signs that you’ll need to swap out your mattress can range from sagging or flattening to an increase in allergies due to a build-up of dust mites and other nasties.

Andrea Black
Andrea Black
Travel, design and interiors writer Andrea Black embraces maximalism in the home, prefers mid-century modern style furniture and likes to hunt down vintage pieces. She specialises in travel relating to design, history, architecture and music. When visiting a city she will track down vintage vinyl record stores and bring home a local release.

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